Oh Se-hoon: Calls for a by-election are just slogans to protect political positions... Focus should be on a special counsel probe and NEC reform

[Financial News] Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stressed that "the People Power Party's priority right now is to uncover the truth to the end through a parliamentary investigation and a special counsel probe, punish those responsible, and prepare and present to the public reform measures for the NEC that amount to a dismantling-level overhaul."
On the 16th, Oh said on social media that "it is deeply concerning that the golden time to restore public trust is being wasted because of one person's political calculations," adding that "Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok is driving the entire party into a wasteful campaign for a by-election claim."
Earlier, on the 15th, Jang Dong-hyeok held an emergency Supreme Council meeting and decided to file election complaints with the NEC over six regions nationwide, including the Seoul and Busan mayoral elections, where ballot shortages occurred during the June 3 local elections. The decision, made urgently without a party caucus meeting, has drawn mixed reactions within the party.
Oh said that "the pure aspirations of young people in their 20s and 30s who took to the streets to restore democracy should not be consumed as fuel for one politician's political survival," adding that "young people did not gather in the square to become someone's political shield, but to restore fairness, common sense, and the broken justice of elections."
He went on to say that "the public sentiment the People Power Party received in this local election was a stern order to be reborn as a viable alternative party that meets public expectations and properly checks the ruling bloc's unchecked dominance," adding that "the recent rise in the party's approval ratings is also the public's last hope for a changing and reforming People Power Party."
In particular, he pointed out that "is the party leadership really living up to that expectation now?" and said that "what the party must do now is a thorough fact-finding effort, punishment of those responsible, and a fundamental reform of the electoral system."
Oh criticized that "the public already knows clearly" and that "they know whether this is a fight to uncover the truth or a political slogan to protect one's shaky political standing."
The People Power Party is reportedly planning to convene a party caucus meeting as early as this week. Jeong Jeom-sik, the People Power Party floor leader, has said the date will be set after considering the schedules for discussions by the National Assembly special committee on the state investigation and the Special Committee on Personnel Hearing.
Oh said that "I hope the upcoming party caucus meeting will become an opportunity to show the right direction for the People Power Party," adding that "the only way to properly respond to public expectations reflected in party approval ratings is to show the capabilities of a responsible ruling party, not the slogans of a particular individual."

chlee1@fnnews.com Lee Chang-hoon Reporter